sons new gun

my youngest son [25] got his first self protection 'sock drawer' gun today, an all steel 459 or 469 s and w . Looks brand new, is used. Can anyone shed some light on when these were manufactured? I have a mint 659 that is one of my favorite range guns, and this new acquisition seemed to keep right up wit it, tight groups, ate lots of variant ammo, a real delight. would like to learn more about it,,,thankyou

According to the Blue Book and depending on the exact model, these guns were discontinued between 1983 and 1988. A 14-shot all-steel model should be the 559, the stainless version was the 659. The 469 (blue) and 669 (stainless) 9mms were compact models (12-shot magazine), but they were only made with an aluminum-alloy frame and steel (or stainless-steel) slide assembly. The 469 and 669 had a small finger extension on the base of the magazine.

Scroll down to find a specific model (it may be listed in several different areas). I think S&W can still upgrade these guns if they have not yet been modified by the factory; contact S&W customer service for more info (they have a listing of which guns have been modified, so if you give them the serial number, they can tell you if it's okay or still needs an upgrade).

"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)